An ultrasound transducer is typically fabricated as a stack of multiple layers that depend on the application of the transducer. FIGS. 1a and 1b show typical ultrasound transducers. Each transducer comprises, from the bottom up, a backing layer 30, a bottom electrode layer 17, an active element layer (e.g., piezoelectric element or PZT) 10, a top electrode layer 13, a matching layer (or multiple matching layers) 20, and a lens layer (for focused transducers) 35 and 45. The lens may be a convex lens 35 or a concave lens 45. The backing, matching and lens layers are all passive materials that are used to improve and optimize the performance of the transducer. The backing layer is used to attenuate ultrasound energy propagating from the bottom of the transducer so that ultrasound emissions are directed from the top of the transducer and the matching layer is used to enhance acoustic coupling between the transducer and surrounding environment.
In most stacked transducers, the active element (e.g., PZT) must electrically communicate with a system that drives the active element, receives signals from the active element, or both. For ultrasound transducers, the active element converts electrical energy into mechanical energy to generate ultrasound waves, and vice versa to sense ultrasound waves. This makes the physical connections between the system and the active element critical and demanding. In Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) applications, the demands on these connections may be compounded due to the following reasons: the scale of operation may be in the micron range, the ultrasound device may have to meet sterilization compatibility requirements, and the ultrasound device may be rotated at high speeds in continuously varying anatomy.